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Near Death Experience: May 2000 |
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The date: May 6, 2000 The time: 2pm The place: King of Prussia Mall, Philadelphia, PA My Porsche Boxster is almost 4 months old. Still brand-new in my book. The weather is gorgeous. The car is incredible. Life is great. I need to make a trip to the mall...I don't remember why. I live in Philly, so that means the King of Prussia Mall - it's huge. The Story BeginsI pull in to the entrance of one of the many covered parking lots at the mall. Just ahead of me: A very nice Silver 911 C2. Perfect! I'll park next to my fellow Porsche Owner. We'll park close one another, leaving plenty of room between our cars and anyone who may park next to us. (Do any other Porsche owners worry about this sort of thing??) There's a good 6 empty spaces to either side of us. The 911 on the left, I'm on her right. Yes, the driver was woman...how nice! Yes, I got her number...Unfortunately, it's not what you think......skip ahead a couple hours...I've had it. Time to get out of the mall. I enter the parking garage...just like any other day. All of the sudden - A security truck comes screaming around the corner, locks the brakes (no ABS, I guess), and skids to a halt. What the...The driver jumps out and yells "Get back inside!!" Huh? What's going on? I look to my left. Fire. All the way to the ceiling. My heart...Stopped...For a long time. Why? Those flames are AWFULLY close to where I think I'm parked. You know that feeling you have when something's wrong...you know it...but you're not sure just how wrong it really is? Now magnify it...by lots. I was not happy. "My car's in there!! Do you know which car is burning?" "Sir...Please go back inside. The fire department is here and will take care of it." But...he doesn't understand! MY CAR IS IN THERE! MY BOXSTER IS IN THERE! OK...this sucks. 5 minutes later. The good news: I can't see flames any more. The bad news: It's because there is SO MUCH FIRE, I CAN'T SEE THROUGH THE SMOKE! Your mission, Rob, should you choose to accept it: (Hum the "Mission: Impossible" theme as you read this...) Find a way to see what's burning. I leave the garage, down to street level. 5-6 fire trucks are on the scene now. There is NO way for me to get a look at anything. Too much smoke. I'll just have to wait. This could be the worst hour of my life. Lots of spectators now. Everyone's asking everyone else the same question: "Is your car up there?" Sure, some people are nervous. BUT I HAVE A BOXSTER UP THERE! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! ...skip ahead 30 minutes...30 minutes. 30 minutes of nail-biting suspense. The fire is out now. The Fire fighters are not offering any information. Still too much smoke. They actually have to bring in big fans to clear out the parking deck. Another 30 minutes.Finally. Smoke's gone. They're letting people in. I'm not sure if I really want to look. I can see the rear of my Boxster. From this angle, it looks like the garage's charred walls are VERY close. <gulp> I walk closer. Much better angle now. I can see clearly. The garage's charred walls are VERY close. <gulp!> You know that feeling you have when something's wrong...you know it...but you're not sure just how wrong it really is? Now magnify it...by lots. I was REALLY not happy. Here's what I see in 4 adjacent parking spaces:
Saved By The BlazerThink about it...What better car to be between you and a fire that a nice huge SUV? It took the heat. My Boxster took none that I could see. No melting. No charring. Nothing.After about 20 minutes of inspection, talking with the police, and exchanging phone numbers with those involved (including one female 911 owner), some of the fire fighters walk up to me and the woman driving the 911. They shake their heads and chuckle a bit. I don't see any humor... "We tried to wash off all the foam. Problem is: we left the chamois back at the station. <laughter> Sorry. <more laughter>" OK...that was funny. A little. That's pretty much it. My Boxster suffered a near-death experience. But, after a thorough washing and waxing, it took 3rd place at a Concours one month later. Not bad... |
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